MV Empire Bede
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Cuba_location_map.svg&page=1 Location of the sinking of Empire Bede off Cuba.Empire Bede was a 6,959 GRT cargo ship which was built by G M Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She had a short career, being damaged by a torpedo and then sunk by gunfire on 18 August 1942. Description Empire Bede was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow.[1] She was yard number 1049.[2] Empire Bede was launched on 6 January 1942 and completed on 31 March.[2] She was 432 feet 7 inches (131.85 m) long, with a beam of 56 feet 3 inches (17.15 m) and a depth of 34 feet 3 inches (10.44 m).[3] Her GRT was 6,959[1] with a NRT of 4,201.[3] Career Empire Bede had a short career, she was a member of two convoys. ;OS 25 Convoy OS 25 departed Liverpool on 12 April 1942 and arrived at Freetown, Sierra Leone on 29 April.[4] Empire Bede was carrying a cargo of ammunition, guns, stores and tanks.[5] After leaving the convoy off Freetown, Empire Bede delivered her cargo to Aden and Port Said, Egypt. She then sailed to Port Sudan where a load of cotton was taken aboard. Empire Bede sailed to Cape Town and then departed for New York.[5] On 1 August she picked up 25 survivors from the Clan Line ship [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SS_Clan_MacNaughton&action=edit&redlink=1 SS Clan MacNaughton], which had been torpedoed and sunk by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-155_(1941) U-155]. They were landed at Port of Spain, Trinidad on 5 August.[6] ;TAW 13 Convoy TAW 13 departed from Trinidad on 12 August 1942 and arrived at Key West, Florida on 23 August.[7] Empire Bede carried the Vice-Commodore. The convoy headed for the Panama Canal at 5 knots (9.3 km/h) to rendezvous with other ships that were to join the convoy there. At 04:00 British Double Summer Time (06:00 German time) on 12 August,[5] Empire Bede was struck by a torpedo fired by U-553, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Karl Thurmann. Two crew were killed.[8]Her position was WikiMiniAtlas19°35′N 76°25′W﻿ / ﻿19.583°N 76.417°W﻿ / 19.583; -76.417.[1] The other 35 crew, six DEMS gunners and two signalmen were picked up by [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HMS_Pimpernel_(K71)&action=edit&redlink=1 HMS Pimpernel],[8] which later sank Empire Bede by gunfire at WikiMiniAtlas19°41′N 76°50′W﻿ / ﻿19.683°N 76.833°W﻿ / 19.683; -76.833Coordinates: 19°41′N 76°50′W﻿ / ﻿19.683°N 76.833°W﻿ / 19.683; -76.833.[1] The rescued crew were landed at Santiago de Cuba.[8] Those lost on Empire Bede are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.[9] Official Numbers and Code Letters Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. Empire Bede had the UK Official Number 1687091 and the Code Letters BCVC.[3] Propulsion Empire Bede was propelled by a four-stroke Single Cycle, Single Action diesel engine which had six cylinders of 29+3⁄8 inches (750 mm) diameter by 59+3⁄16 inches (1,503 mm) stroke. It was built by Harland & Wolff.[3] The engine could propel the ship at a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h).[5] References #^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Ships_0-0 a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Ships_0-1 ''b] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Ships_0-2 c''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Ships_0-3 ''d] Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85044-275-4. #^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Miramar_1-0 a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Miramar_1-1 ''b] ""1168709"" (subscription required). Miramar Ship Index. R.B. Haworth. http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz. Retrieved 29 October 2009. #^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Bede_2-0 a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Bede_2-1 ''b] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Bede_2-2 c''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Bede_2-3 ''d] "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS". Plimsoll Ship Data. http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=41b0993.pdf. Retrieved 29 October 2009. #'^' "Convoy OS.25". Convoyweb. http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/oskms/index.html?os025.htm~osmain. Retrieved 29 October 2009. #^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Frost_4-0 a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Frost_4-1 ''b] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Frost_4-2 c''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-Frost_4-3 ''d] "A Look Back at My Life and Service in the Merchant Navy". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/83/a2969283.shtml. Retrieved 29 October 2009. #'^' "August 1st, 1942". Andrew Etherington. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/1942/08/01.htm. Retrieved 29 October 2009. #'^' "Convoy TAW.13". Convoyweb. http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/taw/index.html?taw.php?convoy=13!~tawmain. Retrieved 29 October 2009. #^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-U553_7-0 a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-U553_7-1 ''b] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Empire_Bede#cite_ref-U553_7-2 c] "Empire Bede". Uboat. http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship.html?shipID=2065. Retrieved 29 October 2009. #'^' "Ship Index A-F". Brian Watson. http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/Ship%20Index%20A-F.html. Retrieved 20 May 2011. Category:1942 ships Category:Clyde-built ships Category:Empire ships Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom Category:Ministry of War Transport ships Category:Ships sunk by German submarines Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea Category:Maritime incidents in 1942